Thought this would be of interest -- it was a posting Dave made to the "Interesting People" mailing list. ------- Begin forwarded message ------- Date: Wed, 03 Nov 1999 11:42:09 -0500 From: Dave Farber <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: IP: BBC Online 2/10/99: "Global spy network revealed" >Date: Wed, 3 Nov 1999 16:03:52 +0000 >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > >http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/newsid_503000/503224.stm >Global spy network revealed > >Listening in to your phone calls and reading your emails > >By Andrew Bomford of BBC Radio 4's PM programme >Imagine a global spying network that can eavesdrop on every single phone >call, fax or e-mail, anywhere on the planet. > >It sounds like science fiction, but it's true. > >Two of the chief protagonists - Britain and America - officially deny its >existence. But the BBC has confirmation from the Australian Government that >such a network really does exist and politicians on both sides of the >Atlantic are calling for an inquiry. > >On the North Yorkshire moors above Harrogate they can be seen for miles, but >still they are shrouded in secrecy. Around 30 giant golf balls, known as >radomes, rise from the US military base at Menwith Hill. > >Linked to the NSA > >Inside is the world's most sophisticated eavesdropping technology, capable >of listening-in to satellites high above the earth. > >Facility is said to be capable of 2m intercepts per hour >The base is linked directly to the headquarters of the US National Security >Agency (NSA) at Fort Mead in Maryland, and it is also linked to a series of >other listening posts scattered across the world, like Britain's own GCHQ. > >The power of the network, codenamed Echelon, is astounding. > >Every international telephone call, fax, e-mail, or radio transmission can >be listened to by powerful computers capable of voice recognition. They home >in on a long list of key words, or patterns of messages. They are looking >for evidence of international crime, like terrorism. > >Open Oz > >The network is so secret that the British and American Governments refuse to >admit that Echelon even exists. But another ally, Australia, has decided not >to be so coy. > >The man who oversees Australia's security services, Inspector General of >Intelligence and Security Bill Blick, has confirmed to the BBC that their >Defence Signals Directorate (DSD) does form part of the network. > >"As you would expect there are a large amount of radio communications >floating around in the atmosphere, and agencies such as DSD collect those >communications in the interests of their national security", he said. > >Asked if they are then passed on to countries like Britain and America, he >said: "They might be in certain circumstances." > >But the system is so widespread all sorts of private communications, often >of a sensitive commercial nature, are hoovered up and analysed. > >Journalist Duncan Campbell has spent much of his life investigating Echelon. >In a report commissioned by the European Parliament he produced evidence >that the NSA snooped on phone calls from a French firm bidding for a >contract in Brazil. They passed the information on to an American >competitor, which won the contract. > >"There's no safeguards, no remedies, " he said, "There's nowhere you can go >to say that they've been snooping on your international communications. Its >a totally lawless world." > >Breaking the silence > >Both Britain and America deny allegations like this, though they refuse to >comment further. But one former US army intelligence officer has broken the >code of silence. > >Colonel Dan Smith told the BBC that while this is feasible, it is not >official policy: "Technically they can scoop all this information up, sort >through it, and find what it is that might be asked for," he said. "But >there is no policy to do this specifically in response to a particular >company's interests." > >Legislators on both sides of the Atlantic are beginning to sit up and take >notice. Republican Congressman Bob Barr has persuaded congress to open >hearings into these and other allegations. > >In December he is coming to Britain to raise awareness of the issue. In an >interview with the BBC he accused the NSA of conducting a broad "dragnet" of >communications, and "invading the privacy of American citizens." > >He is joined in his concerns by a small number of politicians In Britain. >Liberal Democrat MP Norman Baker has tabled a series of questions about >Menwith Hill, but has been met with a wall of silence. > >"There's no doubt it's being used as a listening centre," he said, "There's >no doubt it's being used for US interests, and I'm not convinced that >Britain's interests are being best served by this." > _____________________________________________________________________ David Farber The Alfred Fitler Moore Professor of Telecommunication Systems University of Pennsylvania Home Page: http://www.cis.upenn.edu/~farber Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Home: +1 610 274 8292; Cell and Office: +1 215 327 8756; Fax: +1 408 490 2720 ------- End of forwarded message -------
